HatH - Guest post and giveaway from author D.B. Reynolds

A touch of Lucas for Halloween …

Lucas strolled along the dirt path between the booths, his head swiveling from side to side as he tried to take in every detail of the human gathering. They called it a Harvest Festival, though most of the patrons were in costume, and the theme was more Halloween than harvest. But whatever they called it, it was intriguing. There were carnival rides with people squealing in delighted terror as they spun around and upside down in ways guaranteed to produce violent vomiting. Especially given the variety and truly horrifying quality of some of the food being consumed. Everything imaginable was being deep fried, including some items that were never meant for the deep fryer. Deep fried butter? He shuddered. And they thought his diet was gruesome.

Reaching the end of the row, he left the food vendors behind, and turned to the line of booths offering things for sale. All of the money raised, he’d been told, would be donated to this year’s causes, which included a new children’s reading corner in the local library, and support for the regional food bank. Having once lived on the streets of Ireland, with no food and little shelter, he thought both of these were worthy causes, so he’d been spending money left and right. Even though he didn’t need and wouldn’t use any of the things he’d bought. It was the principle.

“Lucas!”

He turned at the sound of his lieutenant, Nicholas, calling his name. In public like this, he preferred his people use his name, not his title. Not that he stood on ceremony most of the time anyway.

“Nick,” he greeted his closest adviser as several of his security people caught up to him, and he was quickly surrounded by vampire bulk.

“Sire,” Nick said in a low voice. “I’d rather you didn’t try to lose your security.”

“Is that what I did?” he asked innocently.

Nick didn’t bother to answer. They both knew what Lucas had done.

“What’s that?” Lucas asked, seeing a long line of human males in front of a brightly decorated booth.

Nick glanced over and rolled his eyes. “It’s a kissing booth, my lord. The women there are selling kisses.”

“Really? Are the ladies comely?”

Nick laughed. “It’s not supposed to matter. It’s for charity.”

Lucas changed direction, heading for the kissing booth, but before he got there, he was waylaid by the honorary mayor of their small town. Lucas signaled his security subtly and they permitted the mayor to step closer.

“Mayor Stevens,” he greeted the man, whose sole task as honorary mayor was organizing this festival. He was actually the owner of a very profitable ranch nearby.

“You thinking of getting in line?” Stevens asked, jerking his head at the kissing booth.

“Not really,” Lucas said thoughtfully. “Though I was wondering … where’s the one for the women?”

Stevens gave him a puzzled look. “Thought you all had good eyesight, Donlon. Those are women in that booth, and some fine-looking ones, too.”

“No, no,” Lucas protested. “I mean, where’s the booth for women who want to get kissed by a handsome man?”

Stevens hooted in laughter. “Never seen one of those. You volunteering?”

Lucas gazed down at the shorter human, his head tilted quizzically. He could feel Nick tensing up beside him, heard him draw a breath to speak.

“Sire—” Nick started, just as Lucas laughed and said, “Do you think they’d let me?”

“I’m sure they’d be thrilled,” a woman’s husky voice answered from behind him. “But you’re not for sale, my lord. Not your lips and not any other body part, either.

Lucas spun around. “A cuisle,” he crooned, and pulled his favorite FBI agent in for a hug and a kiss of her very own.

“Sorry,” he said, addressing Mayor Stevens over her shoulder, “my lady is very jealous of my affections.”

“And your lady has a gun,” Kathryn reminded him.

“That is so hot,” he murmured against her ear. He felt her face heat with embarrassed pleasure, and he grinned. “Let’s blow this joint. We can go home and blow—”

“Lucas!”

He laughed and nodded at Mason, one of his vampire guards, who rushed over to open the back door of a big, black Suburban, which had pulled right up to the fair grounds. Lucas slid into the back seat with Kathryn, then settled back as the vehicle left behind the lights of the festival, and disappeared into the darkness, leaving behind all those unkissed women. But then, the only woman whose lips he was interested in kissing was sitting right next to him, and he’d be kissing a lot more than her lips before this night was over.

For more about D.B. and her books, here's where to find her online:
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D.B. is giving away winner's choice of any one book from her series, e-book or paperback. (Betrayed is a novella currently available only in e-format).  This is open internationally.  Read event rules and guidelines before entering. 

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