First Rapture (The Rapture Series) Read online

  “I’m late,” she muttered, turning to head for the door.

  “Maddy,” Kristen called from behind her. “Dammit, I’m not going to let you throw away a chance at happiness.”

  ***

  Luc had broken all speed limits to get to the remote parking lot near Red Rocks. There was a shop on the other side of the lot, but he’d deliberately tucked his Jag behind a large rock formation at the back.

  He didn’t know why he was there.

  No, that wasn’t true.

  He’d already been headed to Kristen’s condo when she’d texted him with the info that Madison was going to be at this location and that he needed to be here to meet her.

  But he didn’t have any idea why Madison would be traveling to this desolate spot.

  And right now, he didn’t give a shit.

  Nothing mattered but having the opportunity to speak with her before she left town.

  Climbing out of his car, he impatiently glanced at the expensive watch wrapped around his wrist.

  Dammit. He’d been so pissed when Madison had left the hotel last night that he’d drunk the entire bottle of champagne that’d arrived only moments after her dramatic departure.

  The expensive wine had helped to dull his outrage at her claim that she’d used him as some sort of sexual purge. But as his anger had cooled, he deeply regretted having consumed so much alcohol.

  He knew damned well and good that Madison hadn’t sought him out just for revenge.

  It simply wasn’t her nature.

  She had to have some lingering love for him, even if she refused to admit it.

  Unfortunately, he’d been on the wrong side of tipsy from the champagne, and was forced to sober up before he could go in pursuit. A man didn’t try to convince the woman of his dreams to give him a second chance while he was drunk.

  So he’d done his best to sleep off his uncharacteristic overindulgence before returning to his home to shower and shave, swiftly changing into a pair of well-worn jeans and T-shirt before heading to out to find Madison.

  Now he awaited her arrival with a growing frustration.

  Was it possible that Kristen had sent him to the middle of nowhere so Madison had time to escape him?

  It was exactly the sort of plot the devious young lawyer would concoct.

  Especially if Kristen thought he intended to hurt her friend…

  The sound of an approaching car broke into his dark brooding and Luc backed into the shadows of the rocks, watching the silver sedan pull into the lot.

  A grim smile touched his lips as he caught sight of the dark-haired beauty seated behind the steering wheel of the rental car.

  Madison.

  Angling to avoid being seen in her rearview mirror, Luc jogged across the lot, swiftly reaching the car. Then, with a yank on the handle, he had the door open and was sliding into the passenger seat.

  “Morning, Maddy.”

  There was a feminine screech as Madison jerked her head to the side to watch him slam the door shut, her hand pressed to the center of her chest.

  “Good god, you nearly gave me a heart attack,” she rasped, her eyes narrowing as suspicion replaced her initial fear. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  He slid an appreciative glance over her slender body before returning to her furious face. Even in jeans and no makeup she was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, but there was no mistaking the shadows beneath her glorious eyes and the pallor of her skin.

  A part of him was instantly concerned by the signs of a sleepless night, while a much larger part of him felt a stab of hope.

  Surely a woman who’d accomplished her mission would have slept soundly?

  “Weird,” he drawled, holding her wary gaze. “That’s the precise question I was about to ask you.”

  Her scowl deepened. “Did you follow me?”

  “Actually I’ve been waiting for you.”

  “How could you possibly have known I was coming—” Annoyance abruptly flared through her hazel eyes. “Kristen,” she muttered.

  “She sent me a text,” Luc admitted. “She said that you were coming here to complete some unfinished business. She also said that I needed to stop you.”

  Madison’s breath hissed between her clenched teeth. “Meddlesome pain in the ass.”

  He leaned toward her, resting his forearm on the center console as he carefully monitored her expressive face.

  “Why are you here, Maddy?”

  She gave a shake of her head, her braid brushing her shoulder. “It’s none of your business.”

  “What would it take to make it my business?” he asked, reaching to grasp the braid and tug the band off the end.

  “I…” She licked her dry lips, looking incredibly young and vulnerable as the morning sunlight streamed through the windshield. “Don’t understand.”

  His heart twisted, the familiar affection he’d always felt for this woman deepening into a richer, more lasting emotion.

  Avoiding her wary gaze, Luc concentrated on unraveling her hair from the braid. “When I caught sight of you last night it all became clear.”

  “What did?”

  “Why I could never commit to another woman.” He unraveled the last of the braid and combed his fingers through the satin softness. His breath caught as a fierce arousal slammed into him. Oh…man. Just being near this woman was enough to make him hard with need. The sooner he had her in his arms, the better. “And why I kept such a close watch on your career,” he continued, leaning even closer. “And why I felt as if I’d been living my life in black and white until you walked onto that balcony and filled the night with beauty.”

  He was near enough to see her eyes darken at his soft words. Of course, her expression remained stubbornly defensive.

  Nothing about Madison Philips would ever be easy.

  And he didn’t give a shit.

  He would give whatever necessary to make her happy.

  “Did you practice that?” she tried to mock, grimacing as her words came out as a husky whisper.

  “You want it in simple terms?” he asked, his expression somber. “I never stopped regretting walking away from you. And now that you’re back I’m never letting you go again.”

  Her lips parted at his blunt warning, the pulse at the base of her neck fluttering at a rapid beat.

  “Luc.”

  Luc sucked in a deep breath. It was now or never.

  Unless he overcame his aversion to making himself vulnerable, then she was going to walk away.

  “I love you, Maddy.”

  The hazel eyes widened, her shock tangible in the close confines of the car. “You can’t,” she breathed.

  He lifted his brows. “I can’t?”

  She gave a restless shrug. “You barely know me.”

  Luc gave a laugh at her ridiculous words.

  “I’ve known you all my life,” he reminded her, able to recall the precise minute he’d glanced down the hall of their school to see those big, beautiful hazel eyes focused on him. At the time he hadn’t understood why he’d felt as if he’d been struck by lightning. Or why he’d always checked the stands before he jogged onto the football field to make sure she was seated in her familiar spot. He’d always been aware that she was a constant backdrop in his life. “I know you have a generous heart despite the hardships you were forced to endure, you have endless courage, and an independent spirit that I deeply admire.” His fingers slid out of her hair to lightly trace the line of her stubborn jaw. “Everything else we’ll discover during our future together.”

  She shivered beneath his light caress, but she made no protest to pull away. “Future?”

  He leaned forward, pressing a soft, lingering kiss on her lips. “A very long future.”

  Her hands lifted to lie against his chest, her breath coming in tiny pants between her parted lips.

  “Are you asking me to…” She had to stop to clear her throat. “To marry you?”

  He pulled back with a
wry smile.

  He didn’t blame her for the disbelief in her expression.

  Hell, his own mother would be shocked when he confessed he was ready to give up his bachelor days and take a wife.

  And his father…

  No. He gave a shake of his head.

  He wasn’t anything like his father.

  He only needed one woman to make him happy.

  “Eventually,” he hedged, not wanting to terrify her into bolting. “First I just want the opportunity to prove I’m no longer that stupid kid who hurt you.” He cupped her chin, forcing her to meet his pleading gaze. “Will you give me a chance?”

  “I…” His heart halted as she hesitated, panicked by the thought she might say no. Dammit. He was going to lock her in his bedroom until she accepted he’d never meant to hurt her.

  Then, without warning, her hazel eyes warmed with an emotion that sent hope sizzling through his body. “Yes.”

  A dizzying relief exploded through Luc. “Thank god.” Framing her face in his hands, he covered her lips in a desperate kiss, nipping her full bottom lip in punishment for terrifying him. He moaned as she readily melted against him, his erection thickening as he wrapped his arms around her. His tongue dipped into the warm wetness of her mouth, tasting her passion as she grabbed his T-shirt and tried to drag him closer. He growled in frustration as the console kept them separated, the heat of the sun already making the air uncomfortably hot. “Damn…” he muttered, reluctantly lifting his head to study her face that was now flushed with desire. “This car wasn’t made for making love to my woman.”

  A tiny smile curved her lips. “Your woman?”

  “Mine,” he growled with full male possession.

  She kissed the tip of his chin. “I like that.”

  So did he.

  A lot.

  “Are you going to tell me what you’re doing here?” he demanded, nuzzling a path of kisses down her throat.

  She tilted back her head, offering him better access. “When I was seventeen, Kristen stole a bottle of tequila and brought it to the trailer,” she murmured, clearly distracted as his tongue teased the pulse that pounded at the base of her neck.

  Luc felt a stab of surprise. Madison had never attended the private parties where there was alcohol. No doubt the example of her mother had taught her the emptiness of trying to find pleasure in a bottle. And in truth, he’d admired her for resisting the peer pressure.

  Her respect for her body was far sexier than any amount of trying to impress him.

  “You never used to drink in high school,” he said, breathing deep of her vanilla scent.

  “Which only made it worse,” she admitted, shivering as he traced the neckline of her top. “After a couple of shots I decided I had to have some tangible proof of my love for you.”

  He abruptly straightened, smiling with wicked amusement. “Hmm. I like the sound of that.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You would.”

  “What was this tangible proof?”

  “A tattoo of your name in a heart.”

  A tattoo? He was momentarily stunned, then he suddenly recalled the strange smear of makeup he’d noticed last night.

  “On your lower back,” he said.

  “Yes.”

  His hand skimmed down to the spot just above her firm ass. The knowledge that she had his name forever imprinted on her skin was hot as hell.

  Of course, as far as he was concerned, there was nothing about this woman that wasn’t hot as hell.

  “That explains the makeup.” His hand drifted lower, cupping the firm curve of hip. “I thought you were trying to hide a birthmark.”

  She grimaced. “Needless to say, it was the last time I ever drank tequila.”

  “That still doesn’t explain why you’re here.” He nodded his head toward the building.

  “Wicked Ink is the best tattoo shop in the world at turning mistakes into works of art,” she explained.

  It took a minute to realize she meant to have her tattoo turned into some design that disguised his name.

  Once he did, he felt a surprising anger at the thought that she’d planned to erase him so thoroughly from her life.

  First with her revenge sex, and then with some magical tattoo artist.

  “You consider me a mistake,” he said, his voice flat.

  She gave a slow nod, reaching up to lightly touch his face. “I did.”

  “And now?”

  Her finger stroked his lower lip, the gold in her hazel eyes shimmering in the morning sunlight.

  “Now I think maybe I’ll keep it.”

  He lowered his head to brush her lips with the light promise of a kiss. It was all he dared allow himself when they were in full daylight in the middle of a public parking lot.

  “And perhaps I’ll get one that matches yours,” he murmured against her lips.

  “A heart on your lower back?” she teased, her hands exploring the rigid muscles of his chest. “Won’t you get beat up at the gym?”

  “I don’t care if they put a petunia on my ass just as long as it proves how much I want a second chance,” he assured her.

  “You don’t need a petunia,” she assured him, a small smile curving her lips. “Although I’m not opposed to having my name permanently etched onto your body. I want all those women to know you’re mine.”

  “I am yours,” he said, his voice rough with sincerity as he buried his face in the curve of her throat. “I’ve always been yours.”

  Her arms circled his shoulders, her fingers tangling in his hair. “It’s true, you know.”

  He was having a difficult time thinking as he relished the joy that was surging through him.

  “What is?”

  She whispered directly in his ear. “A woman never forgets her first.”

  EPILOGUE

  One year later

  Madison stood in front of the newly renovated brick building on the outskirts of Vegas.

  Once an abandoned business center, it had been transformed into an afterschool program where kids in need could come for tutoring, a hot meal, clothing, medical care…or just a safe place to be.

  Madison smiled. She’d mentioned her dream of helping children whose parents couldn’t, or wouldn’t, properly care for them shortly after her quiet wedding to Luc, and within days he had a building purchased and the first plans drawn up.

  At first his driving force had made her head spin, but she’d quickly adjusted, and now they were a true power couple, dividing their time between Vegas and New York. A journey made easy by Luc’s private jet.

  Sensing his intense scrutiny, Madison turned her head to meet his dark gaze, her heart giving a familiar leap of joy.

  It didn’t seem to matter how many days they spent together, or how many nights they devoted to making love. She never got over the thrill of simply being with this man.

  “Well, Ms. Angeli, is it everything you dreamed it would be?” he asked.

  “And more.” She turned, wrapping her arms around his neck. “So much more.”

  He grasped her waist, tugging her intimately against his body. For today, the Maddy Center was closed for a last inspection. Tomorrow the doors would be opened to the public.

  “You’re happy?” he asked softly.

  She smiled. “Mr. Angeli, are you fishing for compliments?”

  He chuckled, appearing indecently gorgeous in his black chinos and white silk shirt that was left open to offer a glimpse of his bronzed chest.

  “If you were in the mood to share a few, I wouldn’t object.”

  A heat that had nothing to do with the scorching Nevada sunlight spread through her.

  “Actually, I’m in the mood—” Going up on tiptoe, Madison whispered in his ear exactly what she was in the mood to do.

  Luc gave low growl, his hands tightening on her waist. “Why, Ms. Angeli, you are a wicked girl.”

  She kissed him with all the love that filled her heart. “Just perfect for the Dark Angel,” she murmured.
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  “Perfect,” he agreed, scooping her into his arms and heading for the waiting car.

  THE END

  Hello!

  I hope you enjoyed Luc and Maddy’s story. I had a wonderful time reuniting the two lovers and providing plenty of spark for your reading pleasure!

  Coming December 31, 2013 I have a new series, The Sentinels, that will be hitting the shelves. The series will revolve around people who are ‘gifted’ with special abilities and the warriors who protect them. BORN IN BLOOD is Duncan O’Conner’s story. He’s a hardnosed police detective who requests the services of Callie Brown, a high-blood necromancer, when a young woman is found murdered in her kitchen. Callie’s skill allows her to view the last memories of the dead before the soul leaves the body. Most cops consider it a gruesome talent, but Duncan isn’t so squeamish. Callie has managed to solve a dozen murders over the past five years . Besides, he can’t deny a fascination with the beautiful high-blood. She stirs a passion in him that threatens to consume them both.

  And, of course, my BAYOU HEAT series that I write with the fabulous Laura Wright will be continuing! Look for Sebastian/Aristide’s stories coming November 11th!

  Happy reading!!

  Alexandra Ivy

  Read on for excerpts of BORN IN BLOOD and HUNT THE DARKNESS.

  BORN IN BLOOD

  PROLOGUE

  Valhalla had always been shrouded in mystery.

  Named for the home of the Norse gods, the leaders of the sprawling compound claimed that it was a safe-house for those people too unique to live among normal society.

  Of course, everyone knew that was just a polite way of saying that it was a home for freaks.

  Witches, psychics, necromancers, Sentinels and God only knew what else roamed the grounds protected by a layer of powerful spells.

  For the past century, Valhalla had been a source of fear and fascination throughout the entire world, but most especially for the citizens of the small, Midwest town that could see the shimmer of blue reflecting off the protective dome that hid the buildings from view.