Under the Sun and Sky: A Hot Bite story

By AE Lister

FROM EXCITING ROMANCE AUTHOR AE LISTER

A Hot Bite story

How do you live your best life when you're dead?

Joanna Kilkenny has been milking her fame for all it's worth. But Alba de Gradi is as sick of the lifestyle as she is of the name she's been using for twenty-five years.

Now, she and her rock-star ex-lover Lorne Dechenes bring to fruition years of planning and make their escape from the Hollywood rat race, bringing along the bodyguard who has kept Joanna safe. Jamie Conrad is blindsided at Joanna's movie premiere by Lorne's unexpected appearance and Joanna's confession that her entire life has been a lie—especially since she's not even alive.

Jamie reels from the discovery that the woman he has secretly loved and not-so-secretly protected for years is not who he thought she was. Caught up in the excitement and in feelings he can't deny, he can't refuse Alba's sincere request and is whisked away to a villa in Tuscany on Lorne's private jet.

At a villa named Del Cielo, near the ancient town of Siena, Alba must convince Jamie that his life is better with her and with Lorne, in a place where life and death come at a slower pace and the finest wines are aged.

But can two human men satisfy the ravenous appetites of an ancient immortal who wants another chance at death?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing
• Release date: Jul 11, 2023
• ISBN: 9781802508215

AE Lister

Alison Lister is a Canadian non-binary author. They write graphic erotic romance (contemporary/historical/paranormal) as AE Lister, and sweet Young Adult LGBTQ+ romance as Alison Lister. She/he/they

Book preview

Totally Entwined Group books by AE Lister

Persuasions

Various Persuasions

Various Distractions

Various Intentions

Northern Horizons

760 Miles

Repentance and Absolution

Return to Telegraph Creek

Collections

Dark and Deadly: Skeletal Equation

We Three Kings: A Spoonful of Sugar

His Harem: Alternative Medicine

Hot Bite: Bloodlines

Hot Bite

UNDER THE SUN AND SKY

AE LISTER

Under the Sun and Sky

ISBN # 978-1-80250-821-5

©Copyright AE Lister 2023

Cover Art by Kelly Martin ©Copyright July 2023

Interior text design by Claire Siemaszkiewicz

Totally Bound Publishing

This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Totally Bound Publishing.

Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Totally Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

Published in 2023 by Totally Bound Publishing, United Kingdom.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the authors’ rights. Purchase only authorised copies.

Totally Bound Publishing is an imprint of Totally Entwined Group Limited.

If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as unsold and destroyed to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this stripped book.

A Hot Bite story

How do you live your best life when you’re dead?

Joanna Kilkenny has been milking her fame for all it’s worth. But Alba de Gradi is as sick of the lifestyle as she is of the name she’s been using for twenty-five years.

Now, she and her rock-star ex-lover Lorne Dechenes bring to fruition years of planning and make their escape from the Hollywood rat race, bringing along the bodyguard who has kept Joanna safe. Jamie Conrad is blindsided at Joanna’s movie premiere by Lorne’s unexpected appearance and Joanna’s confession that her entire life has been a lie—especially since she’s not even alive.

Jamie reels from the discovery that the woman he has secretly loved and not-so-secretly protected for years is not who he thought she was. Caught up in the excitement and in feelings he can’t deny, he can’t refuse Alba’s sincere request and is whisked away to a villa in Tuscany on Lorne’s private jet.

At a villa named Del Cielo, near the ancient town of Siena, Alba must convince Jamie that his life is better with her and with Lorne, in a place where life and death come at a slower pace and the finest wines are aged.

But can two human men satisfy the ravenous appetites of an ancient immortal who wants another chance at death?

Dedication

To eternity.

Trademark Acknowledgements

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

Ritz-Carlton: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC

Louboutin: Christian Louboutin S.A.R.L. Corporation

Honda: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha – Honda Motor Co Ltd

The Big Lebowski: Gramercy Pictures, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment

Gulfstream: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

Perrier: Societe des Produits Nestle

L.L. Bean: L.L. Bean Inc.

Spotify: Spotify AB Corporation

Forbes: Forbes LLC

Converse: Converse Inc.

Greta Van Fleet: Greta Van Fleet Partnership

Vans: Vans Inc.

Disneyland: Disney Enterprises Inc.

Chapter One

Joanna

There were days that I regretted ever becoming Joanna Kilkenny. Those days had outnumbered the other ones for a long time now. Tonight, the premiere of Lowlife, my latest film, was being held at the Meridian Arts Centre in Toronto, and it was the last place I wanted to be.

In my room at the Ritz-Carlton hotel, I stared at my reflection in the mirror as my assistant put the finishing touches to my updo. We’d kept it simple, but I had a hell of a lot of hair.

Thank you, Nadine. That’s perfect.

She smiled at me in the mirror. You’re welcome, Joanna. Have a wonderful evening.

I watched her gather her things and leave, while a text from Jamie came through on my phone.

The car is here.

I smiled and sent a reply.

I’ll be there shortly. Nadine is just leaving.

Jamie sent a thumbs-up emoji.

* * * *

The lights were blinding as I made my way from the limo through a crowd of excited paparazzi, with Jamie at my elbow.

Holy fuck, he muttered. It’s worse every time.

Or better? I replied, trying to access the part of me that still cared about my popularity.

Jamie grunted. They’ll be trying to tear a piece off you next.

Hmm. That would be interesting. I’d like to see someone try.

Jamie Conrad, my ruggedly handsome bodyguard, spoke with a compelling Irish brogue that only added to his appeal.

I grinned at him. Not with you on duty, I said, confident in Jamie’s ability to keep me safe. Although, in truth, I didn’t need a protector—only a shield between me and the public who thought I was one thing when I was actually something else. Keeping my true identity a secret would have been difficult if I’d needed to exert my strength on more than rare occasions.

My name had been Alba de Gradi for more than two hundred years, but I’d gone by Joanna Kilkenny for the past twenty-five.

Joanna Kilkenny, award-winning actor known for roles in outstanding film noir and mystery cinema. I was a sparkling jewel in the Hollywood crown—a role I’d played with aplomb and delight for those first ten years.

It was getting a little old…and so was I. At least, people were beginning to wonder why I didn’t look as old as I was supposed to be.

At the start of my Hollywood career, I had pretended to be an inexperienced twenty-six-year-old ingénue. For anyone watching—which now included a vast number of devoted fans, most of the press and many, many others—I should have been in my early fifties.

The fact that I continued to look the same as when I’d started was regarded with awe and commendation from many, but with more and more suspicion from a few. There were people who probably knew what I was. And as the years went on, it would become more and more difficult to pretend to be human.

I’d needed an exit strategy. And tonight’s non-appearance at the international premiere for Lowlife would be the first phase of my escape from public life in America.

Once inside the Meridian, I was relieved to be out of sight of all the chaos.

Ms. Kilkenny? a nervous intern said. May I show you to your room?

Thank you, yes, I responded, looking him over. He was young, with a swimmer’s body, but I tamped down my blood and other lusts and smiled. What’s your name?

The young man blinked, and his cheeks flushed. Uh, it’s Casper.

I’m pleased to meet you, Casper. I could already see that he had fallen under my spell. Even beyond my substantial supernatural gifts, the ability to charm the pants off people—both figuratively and literally—was a power I wielded with abandon.

Let’s go, Jamie said, placing his familiar hand at the small of my back and causing a pleasant tingle in my spine as he did so. Ever the practical one.

I followed Casper, my Louboutin heels clicking on the tile as he led us down a bright hallway past other interns and people working the event who cast wide-eyed glances my way and spoke to each other in hushed voices. I tried not to notice the tight curves of Casper’s ass in his pressed black pants, but it was hopeless. I’d always been partial to men’s asses. That would never change, no matter how many centuries I endured. Men’s rear ends and other parts were some of the things that made immortality worth it.

If I didn’t have solid plans for the brief amount of time I’d spend in this building, I’d have made sure to give Casper my card with an invitation to join me in the privacy of my rooms for a short dalliance—something that Jamie would roll his pretty eyes at but then stand outside my door and try not to listen to.

I knew of Jamie’s regard for me, feelings he tried to hide in the interests of professional detachment and a sense of unfounded inferiority. He was more than my bodyguard and he knew it, but so far we’d only traversed the bounds of friendship. I knew he wanted more and was too afraid to show it—or ask for it.

Which amused me, as I would give him anything he asked for in an instant. He didn’t know it yet, just like he wasn’t aware of my true nature or any of my plans with Lorne, but I hoped he cared enough about me to be a pivotal part of my exodus. I’d know by the end of the night. And he would have to decide whether he wanted me and all that involved or a life of work and drudgery in the celebrity trenches of twenty-first-century California.

Speaking of which, I needed to see if my VIP guest had arrived.

Casper, do you know if Lorne Dechenes is here yet? I asked as we moved along.

In my peripheral vision, I saw Jamie’s head jerk to the side as he threw a startled glance my way. Jamie Conrad didn’t like to be surprised. He prided himself on being ready for anything. but he couldn’t possibly be prepared for what was going down tonight.

"He’s already in your room,