From the New York Times bestselling author of the Gabriel trilogy comes the hotly anticipated follow-up to The Raven, a sensual novel set in Florence featuring the dangerously intoxicating coupling of Raven and William…
Raven Wood’s vampyre prince has returned, pledging his love and promising justice for every wrong done to her. In the wake of their reunion, Raven is faced with a terrible decision—allow the Prince to wreak vengeance against the demons of her past, or persuade him to stay his hand. But there is far more at stake than Raven’s heart...
A shadow has fallen over the city of Florence. Ispettor Batelli will not rest until he uncovers Raven’s connection to the theft of the priceless art from the Uffizi Gallery. And while the Prince hunts a traitor who sabotages him at every turn, he finds himself the target of the vampyres’ mortal enemy.
As he wages a war on two fronts, he will need to keep his love for Raven secret, or risk exposing his greatest weakness..
Raven
watched as William efficiently disrobed, neatly folding every article of black
clothing (with the exception of underwear, which he never wore), and placing it
on the vanity.
She brushed
imaginary lint from her dress as he stood in front of her, naked.
He was
under six feet in height, his body lean and strong. Raven took a moment to
appreciate the definition of his muscled chest and abdomen, and the strong cast
to his thighs. Not even a statue carved by the most talented sculptor
could create a being with so much perfection.
His face
put her in mind of an angel with intense, gray eyes that now looked at her
expectantly.
She hid her
face. “You said you loved me.”
“I did.
What’s more, I meant it.”
“Love is a
peculiar thing. I’ve seen it. I’ve even cheered for it. But I never believed it
was for me.”
“Why
shouldn’t a beautiful, fierce young woman hope for love?”
“Because,
as you put it, human beings are shallow.”
“Love is
deep.” His rich voice echoed in the bathroom.
“Love is
having the power to destroy another person.”
William
stepped closer. “Are you afraid of being destroyed?”
“Destroyed,
consumed, betrayed.” She fidgeted with the neckline of her gown.
William
placed his hand over hers, stilling it. “Love creates; it doesn’t
destroy.”
His lips
found the place where her neck met her shoulder. He kissed her leisurely,
tracing the path of her bared collarbone with his mouth.
His fingers
brushed her zipper. “Let me.”
He undid
her dress, dropping it to the marble tiles.
Her bra
followed. She was as naked as he.
His eyes
roved her body appraisingly. His pale fingers caressed her cheek,
her mouth, and her neck. His strong hands cupped her breasts, her abdomen, and
her hips.
His gray
eyes met hers.
“The power
you describe is the power you have here.” He touched her forehead before moving
his hand to cover her heart. “And here. It’s the power you have
over me. Power I haven’t yielded to another since I was human.”
He brought
his lips to her ear. “Your fears are shared.”
With a slow
kiss on her neck, he led her into the shower, standing behind her underneath a
tropical rainfall showerhead.
Raven
closed her eyes and lifted her face, like a flower following the sun. The
warm water soaked her hair and streamed down the generous curves of her body.
“I’ve never
showered with another person. What happens next?” William rested his
hands on her shoulders.
She wiped
the water from her face.
“Whatever
you want. Just don’t let me fall.”
William’s gaze
dropped to her right leg, which she was favoring.
“Is the
pain terrible?”
“It’s worse
after I’ve been lying down. Sometimes I topple over.”
William
spread his arm around her waist, drawing her back to his chest. “Then I
must be sure to catch you.”
She kissed
him, reaching up to run her fingers through his wet hair as the water poured
down their shoulders.
Her motions
were fraught with an eagerness born of love and affection and the relief of
remembering she hadn’t lost him.
He was
hers.
Even now,
naked, with a myriad of flaws few men overlooked, he embraced her. He embraced
her imperfections.
He loved
her.
His cool
hands scorched her skin, splaying fingers wide over her abdomen and bringing
her backside into contact with what rose between his hips.
She gave
him her weight and he held firm, nipping and licking at her lips before
enticing her to enter his mouth.
He
entertained the intrusion for a moment or two then, with a growl, he spun her
around, pressing their chests together.
Raven
looked up into blazing gray eyes.
“Are you
certain?”
She nodded.
“I need the
words, Raven. I need to know you want this.”
“I want
you.”
He took her
mouth, his tongue alternately penetrating and retreating in a sensual rhythm.
She tilted
her head, welcoming him, as the water continued to rain down.
Hands
roamed over slick skin as their lower bodies came into alignment. She
touched his neck, his shoulders, his biceps, holding them tightly in an effort
to remain upright.
William was
not a tame lover.
In his
arms, she sensed his control, his desire, and the war that waged between the
two. But he’d never harmed her and had always focused his attention on giving
pleasure before taking it. Usually more than once.
“You’re a
dream,” she sighed. “A dream of love I never thought I’d have.”
His eyes
burned into hers.
Without
warning, he lifted her, tugging her thighs around his hips.
He lowered
his mouth to her breasts, tasting and teasing before sucking droplets of water
from her eager flesh.
She wrapped
her arms around his neck, feeling him eager between her legs.
He lifted
her higher, hands beneath her backside, making sure he was correctly aligned.
“Breathe,”
he commanded, his eyes boring in to hers.
Here was
the vampyre, proud and powerful, teetering on the edge of control. He bared his
teeth as if on instinct and his chest rumbled.
“Just don’t
break me,” she whispered, pushing a lock of blond hair from his forehead.
William’s
expression grew even more fierce.
“I won’t
break you. Whatever harm I bring to you I vow to heal.”
He
swallowed her reply with his kiss. Then with a single thrust, he entered
her.
His kisses
were as fierce as his movements as he pushed inside and withdrew, over and
over. His grip on her backside tightened as he lifted and moved her in
concert with his own motion.
Raven clung
to him, her hand trailing to his lower back so she could urge him deeper.
Not that he
needed the encouragement.
Her breasts
brushed against his chest, the friction teasing and arousing.
She ignored
the warm spray of the water, the scent of soap and William, and the nagging
discomfort in her leg and ankle. Her focus was on feeling as he brought
her swiftly to the brink of orgasm.
Before she
could signal how close she was, she climaxed, her hand clutching his neck as
she threw her head back.
William
continued his pace until she’d finished, his mouth dropping to her breasts,
drawing one of them into his mouth.
When she
opened her eyes, she found him staring at her hungrily.
“I have
only begun,” he rasped. “Breathe.”
The unveiling of a set of priceless illustrations of Dante’s
Divine Comedy at the Uffizi Gallery exposes the unsuspecting Professor Gabriel
Emerson and his beloved wife, Julianne, to a mysterious and dangerous enemy.
Unbeknownst to the Professor, the illustrations he secretly acquired years ago were stolen a century earlier from the ruler of Florence’s underworld. Now one of the most dangerous beings in Italy is determined to reclaim his prized artwork and exact revenge on the Emersons, but not before he uncovers something disturbing about Julianne …
Set in the city of Florence, “The Prince” is a prequel novella to “The Raven,” which is the first book in the new Florentine Series Trilogy by Sylvain Reynard.
“The Prince” can be read as a standalone but readers of The Gabriel Series may be curious about the connection between The Professor’s world and the dark, secret underworld of “The Prince.”
Unbeknownst to the Professor, the illustrations he secretly acquired years ago were stolen a century earlier from the ruler of Florence’s underworld. Now one of the most dangerous beings in Italy is determined to reclaim his prized artwork and exact revenge on the Emersons, but not before he uncovers something disturbing about Julianne …
Set in the city of Florence, “The Prince” is a prequel novella to “The Raven,” which is the first book in the new Florentine Series Trilogy by Sylvain Reynard.
“The Prince” can be read as a standalone but readers of The Gabriel Series may be curious about the connection between The Professor’s world and the dark, secret underworld of “The Prince.”
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Gabriel
Series comes a dark, sensual tale of romance in a city shrouded in mystery…
Raven Wood spends her days at Florence’s Uffizi Gallery restoring fine works of Renaissance art. But an innocent walk home after an evening with friends changes her life forever. When she intervenes in the senseless beating of a homeless man, his attackers turn on her, dragging her into an alley. Raven is only semi-conscious when their assault is interrupted by a cacophony of growls followed by her attacker’s screams. Mercifully, she blacks out, but not before catching a glimpse of a shadowy figure who whispers to her…
Cassita vulneratus.
When Raven awakes, she is inexplicably changed. She returns to the Uffizi, but no one recognizes her and more disturbingly, she discovers that she’s been absent an entire week. With no recollection of the events leading up to her disappearance, Raven also learns that her absence coincides with one of the largest robberies in Uffizi history – the theft of a set of priceless Botticelli illustrations. When the baffled police force identifies her as its prime suspect, Raven is desperate to clear her name. She seeks out one of Florence’s wealthiest and elusive men in an attempt to uncover the truth about her disappearance. Their encounter leads Raven to a dark underworld whose inhabitants kill to keep their secrets…
Raven Wood spends her days at Florence’s Uffizi Gallery restoring fine works of Renaissance art. But an innocent walk home after an evening with friends changes her life forever. When she intervenes in the senseless beating of a homeless man, his attackers turn on her, dragging her into an alley. Raven is only semi-conscious when their assault is interrupted by a cacophony of growls followed by her attacker’s screams. Mercifully, she blacks out, but not before catching a glimpse of a shadowy figure who whispers to her…
Cassita vulneratus.
When Raven awakes, she is inexplicably changed. She returns to the Uffizi, but no one recognizes her and more disturbingly, she discovers that she’s been absent an entire week. With no recollection of the events leading up to her disappearance, Raven also learns that her absence coincides with one of the largest robberies in Uffizi history – the theft of a set of priceless Botticelli illustrations. When the baffled police force identifies her as its prime suspect, Raven is desperate to clear her name. She seeks out one of Florence’s wealthiest and elusive men in an attempt to uncover the truth about her disappearance. Their encounter leads Raven to a dark underworld whose inhabitants kill to keep their secrets…
@sylvainreynard
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