Murder & Magick

Dark Desire of the Druids I: Murder & Magick Erotic historical paranormal Ravenous Romance www.ravenousromance.com Author: Isabel Roman www.isabelroman.blogspot.com 5 star review from Love Romance Passion www.loveromancepassion.com About the book: Losing her virginity can mean ruin for a Victorian lady. For Raven Drake, it means freedom to explore her sexuality. As a magicker in hiding, Raven subscribes to her culture’s less prudish philosophy. She wants to experience every erotic sensation imaginable. Malcolm, Lord Preston, desires her from the moment he sees her, and doesn’t allow society’s rules to stand in his way. More than happy to introduce Raven to the pleasures of sex, he doesn’t expect to fall in love with her. Their tryst is a welcome distraction from witch hunters and political manoeuvrings. But can it overcome the weight of another man’s ring on her finger? **** From Chapter 3: Mac kissed Raven’s forehead and eyelids, felt the moisture just underneath of unspilled tears and wondered at the emotion. He closed the door with a bang, to shield them from unwanted eyes, and backed her against it. Pressed against her soft, pliant body, his hips thrust once against her skirt-covered form. With a delicious boldness she hadn’t possessed two weeks ago, Raven’s hands wandered down his body, brushing over his erection.

He groaned at the touch. By all he held holy, he wanted her. Wanted her tied to his bed for his sole pleasure, leaving only when he allowed it. Wanted her on his arm so the world knew this beautiful and passionate lady was his. Wanted to be able to take her whenever he wished, for however long he wished.

But she was not his.

She belonged to another.

The ring that normally graced her finger proclaimed her as such and jealousy burned hot through him. Though he’d never met Viscount Moore, Mac wanted to rip him apart with his bare hands for possessing Raven.

“Are you all right?” he asked in a soft tone, his hand a gentle brush on her cheek. The act belied his body’s reaction, and his desire to rip Moore to pieces. He refused to release his tight control on his emotions.

“Aye,” she nodded. Her eyes were still closed, her rapid breathing caused her breasts to strain against the bodice.

She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, and he couldn’t get enough of her. Passionate and smart, funny and willing, she was everything he’d ever wanted in a woman. And more, so much more.

Alive. She was alive and unhurt and in his arms.

“Then tell me,” he demanded, the tiniest slip of control. But his fingers were still soft on her neck, the tops of her breasts. “What the bloody hell do you think you were doing? Following me onto the lawn like that with Corwin’s men there. It was dangerous!

Corwin’s dangerous. Mad most definitely in his quest, and that makes him even more so.”

Stiffening in his arms, Raven struggled to pull away. His hands tightened around her, holding her captive between him and the door. He couldn’t let her go. His hands wanted to shake. His heart clenched in remembered fear at how near she had been to death. The bullet had come entirely too close to her for his liking. Too close for his sanity.

Fire in her eyes, she glared up at him. “I wasn’t going to stand indoors and wait for you to do whatever it was you planned. I didn’t follow you,” she added with a sneer worthy of the best sailors. And he’d seen more than a few. But he felt her pulse jump under his fingertips, saw her own fear, hidden in those fire-blue eyes.

“I followed Corwin to see what insanity he’d brought with him.”

“You could’ve been shot!”

His fingers convulsed on her shoulders, and he shook her once. His voice betrayed his own anger, his own panic. Hating that weakness, he stilled. Breathing heavily, Mac forced his fear-fuelled rage to calm as he forced images of Raven’s bloody and broken body away. Deliberately relaxing his fingers, he smoothed his hands down her arms, twining their fingers together.

Closing his eyes for a moment, he opened them again to see Raven watching him. She

was furious, but there was still that fear deep in her eyes. She nodded once, gaze holding his. Shutting her own, she breathed deeply.

“I know.” **** She was barely aware she’d said the words aloud as she rested her head against his chest. Allowing herself that single weakness, she squeezed his hands and looked back up at him. She knew what he felt, though she also knew he was unlikely to show it more than he had already.

She knew his anger arose from fear for her safety, but this knowledge didn’t stop her temper from igniting. Something settled around her heart, compressing it tight. He cared far more than he ought, far more than she should wish him to. Swallowing, Raven dismissed those thoughts.

“I’m fine, Malcolm,” she said in an even voice, a gentle smile on her face. Despite the stress of the evening, the smile was easy. For him.

In truth, she wasn’t fine. Was very far from fine, and desperately wished to return to carefree days . . . not that she’d ever experienced those. Her life had been duty, rules, power from the beginning.

Learn to control your powers. Cultivate alliances with other magickal families. Nurture

partnerships with sympathizers to the cause. Sit on the council. Rule your people. Find the remaining magickal artifacts.

Marry Gareth.

In Malcolm’s arms, with his masculine presence around her, Raven had no trouble forgetting.

Forgetting she’d wanted to know what Corwin knew, terrified he knew entirely too much. Raven was frightened she and her family—the people she’d promised an end to terror and persecution—were in terrible danger. She wanted to go back in time and change what had happened, to help that man.

Wishing wasn’t going to change anything. But she wished she hadn’t been such a coward, hiding behind her amulet.

Blinking the memories away, she looked into Malcolm’s clear eyes and relaxed. The tension of the day would return soon enough, haunting her nightmares. Strange how she never dreamt when she slept in his arms. But that didn’t bear thinking on.

Right now, with Malcolm holding her close, Raven willingly let him soothe her. Maybe she’d hate herself later. Maybe she’d find no solace beyond the physical.

For now, it was enough.

“They had no right,” he stated through clenched teeth. His eyes flashed and fingers tensed around her arms. Raven wondered if his anger was at Corwin, or at her for her perceived foolishness? “He had no right. Corwin’s a madman, worse than whatever evil he professes to hunt. That man fell mere centimeters from you, if the shot had missed . . .”

“Shush, darling.” She touched his cheek in a tender caress and smiled up at him. He was a good head taller than she, strong, and commanded respect for both his size and his money. Yet all she wanted at this moment was his body in hers.

“Make me forget, Malcolm. I don’t want to think of Corwin or that unfortunate—” She looked to the side for a moment. No, there was no sense in wishing. “Make me forget.”