Progress on first draft of Tempted by a Rogue Prince (Eternal Mates #3) with special SNEAK PEEK!!!

I am well into writing the first draft of Tempted by a Rogue Prince, which is the third book in the Eternal Mates romance series, and I’ve just passed the 70,000 word barrier, and one HOT love scene! I’m on schedule, which is awesome, and I’m hoping to wrap up the first draft of the novel by the end of next week.

As many of you probably already know, Tempted by a Rogue Prince is Vail and Rosalind’s story, and it’s set in the Fifth Realm of the demons in Hell. This book is everything I expected it to be from knowing the characters. It’s filled with angst, and a balance of light and dark, but as the story progresses, it’s getting lighter, and I have to admit that it’s wonderful seeing Vail slowly beginning to heal and learning how to accept the presence of magic in his mate.

Of course, he still has his little moments, but I have faith that Rosalind is going to be able to get him to step back from the brink and start on the path to healing.

I’ve had requests for another teaser from the book, and since so many of you asked nicely, I’ll post a shorter one today.

Oh… and now you’ll know Vail’s nickname for Rosalind!

Remember… it’s all unedited first draft… be nice and do leave a comment to let me know what you think so far!

His gaze roamed back to the witch and studied her, absorbing her beauty and fairness. She twitched again, thrashing against an invisible foe. Her right arm shot up, smacked off the wall as she rolled onto her back, and jerked her left with it as the chain between them snapped tight.

She lashed out with her legs, whimpering as she clawed at thin air.

A tear cut down the side of her face.

Vail was across the cave in an instant, kneeling beside her and clutching her restraints, his heart pounding wildly against his chest. He held her manacles, ridiculous fear clawing at him again, stopping him from doing as he wanted and holding her wrists instead. She fought him, her struggle increasing along with the fear he sensed in her.

“Little wild rose,” he said and held her tighter, stopping her from hitting him. “Wake now.”

She didn’t. Tears streamed down her temples and she gasped for air, sending him into a spin, a whirlwind of emotions he wasn’t equipped to deal with.

Concern. Compassion. Fear. Anxiety.

He leaned closer, locked her hands to his chest with one of his arms and lowered his free hand towards her. It trembled, the shaking growing violent as it neared her cheek. Her warmth seeped into his palm and her legs thrashed against his side. She kneed him in the ribs and cried out, her fear a sharp pain in his heart.

Vail sucked down a breath and pressed his bare palm against her cheek.

A shiver bolted up his arm, a thousand volts that jolted him and left his mind reeling.

She was warm and soft beneath his calloused fingers.

“Little wild rose… wake up,” he murmured softly, lost in the feel of touching her and fascinated by it.

Her eyelids fluttered and he snatched his hand back, afraid of how she would react if she found him touching her.

She would punish him.

He dropped her hands and shuffled backwards, his heart clenching. When her eyes opened and fell to him, he averted his and bowed his head.

He waited for her to berate him.

Punish him.

He shouldn’t have touched her. He didn’t have permission to touch. He had to behave himself or bad things happened. Bad things. She would punish him because he had been insolent and unruly. He had dared to touch her.

“What happened?” she whispered, her voice hoarse and thick. “Are we in a cave?”

He nodded but kept his eyes averted. He couldn’t speak. He wasn’t allowed to speak. If he spoke, she punished him.

He flexed his fingers, forming his black serrated claws from his armour, and raked them across the black stone floor of the cave on either side of his knees, etching lines in the hard basalt.

“I fell asleep?” She sat up and rubbed her eyes.

He nodded again, but remembered what she did to him whenever he lied to her, and quickly shook his head instead.

“I did fall asleep or didn’t?” She brushed her hair back, working on some of the knots with her fingers.

He wasn’t sure how he could answer that without speaking. She didn’t like it when he spoke. She didn’t like that he would snarl things at her in a voice that dripped with venom and deadly intent.

He stared at the worn smooth ground in front of his knees and reached for it. His hand shook but he couldn’t stop it from trembling. She might punish him for this. She had punished him when he had done such a thing before, breaking her command not to communicate with Loren’s ki’ara.

He scratched two words into the rock with his claws.

“Passed out?” she said and he felt her eyes on him.

He flinched away, quickly withdrawing his hand and curled up. Waiting. She would strike him for sure. Or worse. Not worse. He shook his head and flexed his claws. He didn’t want worse.

“Vail? What’s wrong?” She reached for him and he flinched again, jerking his head backwards. “Did something happen while I was out?”

He shook his head, and then nodded. Couldn’t lie to her. She always knew when he lied.

“Look at me.”

He had to obey. If he didn’t, she would do bad things. He lifted his head and looked across at her, the pace of his heart sickening him together with the memories that collided in his head.

Blue eyes held his, soft and sparkling with stars. Blonde hair swayed across her chest as she leaned forwards, planting one hand on the black ground for support, drawing closer to him.

“What’s wrong?” she said, her voice a sweet melody, filled with warmth and light.

Little wild rose.

His little wild rose.

“Tell me.”

That was right. He could speak to her. He had spoken to her and she had seemed to enjoy it at times, but hated it at others. She didn’t like it when he cursed at her or threatened her, or ordered her around, but she had never punished him for it.

“Nightmare.” He pushed that word out, testing the waters.

Her shoulders slumped and she rubbed the back of her neck. “I hate them.”

He frowned and edged closer, compelled to offer her comfort. “Woke you.”

She smiled. “Thanks. Did something happen while I was asleep?”

He hesitated, icy claws gripping and squeezing his heart, knowing she was asking what had happened to him to make him like this, a weak male, twisted by his past and controlled by it.

“Vail?” She spoke his name so softly that warmth curled through him.

He had never known his mother, she had died giving birth to him, but knew if he had met her that she would have said his name with as much love and tenderness.

“Woke you,” he said to his knees and exhaled a hard breath before adding, “Touched you.”

Her shocked rippled through their link.

“Oh. Did you shake me awake?” she said and he shook his head, cursing her for presuming he would use a violent touch to rouse her. “How then?”

Vail kept his eyes pinned on the floor, lifted his left hand and mentally commanded his armour to recede from it. He drew in a steadying breath and brought his hand close to her cheek. Her warm breath skated across it, making his skin tingle and his whole body ache with a need to press his palm against her cheek again.

He wanted to feel her softness and her warmth.

“I see.” She ghosted her right hand across the back of his, the action causing her hair to shift towards him and sweep across his skin.

A shiver went through him, heightening every need that consumed him and drove him to touch her. Even her hair was as soft and smooth as silk against his skin.

His breathing quickened, his chest heaving with each one, and he risked looking at her. She met his gaze the moment he did, her delicate features set in a placid expression but one that held warmth and understanding.

“You can touch again… if you want.” Those words were tempting, a spell without magic that bewitched him into complying with her suggestion.

Gods, he wanted to.

She pressed her hand closer to his, so they almost touched.

His stomach squirmed and he snatched his hand back.

Her face fell, a hint of sorrow darkening her eyes and turning them stormy, and she lowered her hand into her lap. “At least you didn’t bare your fangs at me this time. I guess that’s progress.”

So… what do you think?

If you haven’t had a chance to read any of the books in the Eternal Mates romance series yet, they’re all available at major ebook retailers and in paperback, and you can find the links and samples of the books at my website:

Kissed by a Dark Prince (Eternal Mates Romance Series #1)
Claimed by a Demon King (Eternal Mates Romance Series #2)