Jannie de Berwyn, daughter of the late Baron of Radnor was in trouble. She had to marry a man of means soon or she and her twin brother Jonathan would be destitute. Following the death of their parents at sea, their inheritance was lost in the Bank Crash of 1866.
Jannie does not have an inheritance or dowry. What she does have is her close friendship with Lady Aubrey and her dreams full of sexual escapades she has yet to experience in real life
Jonathan is equally troubled. He has also failed in marrying an heiress and his few attempts were ridiculed by the shrew of aristocratic society, Lady Olivia.
Jannie has been given a small box by Lady Aubrey. The box tells the future and it has shown Jonathan's his in a confusing manner. The box showed Jonathan in the embrace of a man, the man's teeth sunk in his neck. He also has dreams but in them, he is not with a woman but with a man. These dreams leave him confused but aroused
With pending destitution, the two attend a masquerade ball given by Lady Caroline, the Duchess of Weston. Two other men, with notorious reputations as rakes are also in attendance.
The Duke of Wayne, Duncan and The Duke of Overbrook, Richard are at odds that night. Duncan feels his destined mate is close at hand and has asked Lady Aubrey to give the box to several woman in town to see which is revealed to him. What happens next is a revelation to all.
The coming together, seduction and inevitable pairing of the two couples is a sexy read with many encounters of girl on girl, boy on boy and boy on girl. The ending, which includes a creative revenge on the people who have tortured Jannie and Jonathan, is enjoyable as well as hot.
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The next thing he observed was the ornately carved handles on each side of the box. Though he had no doubt the ivory had once gleamed creamy and bright, it was now a former glory of itself with its sickly shade of dirt encrusted yellow.
The last thing to impress itself upon Jonathan's cognizance was the nature of the carvings on each side of the box. Shocked, he studied them for several long seconds, absolutely sure he had taken leave of his senses. There was no way he could actually be seeing what he thought he was seeing.
The images were disturbing.
And, yet, oddly fascinating.
Men. Naked. Involved in various levels of debauchery. With one another.
The most magnetic scene depicted the naked form of the largest man pressed intimately close to the back of his unclothed lover. And were his—by God, the man's teeth were buried firmly in the neck of the smaller man!
He turned the box and found a similar depiction on the next side but this time the figures were all female. Again, they were involved in some sexual act. As he searched the carvings through the dirt, he thought he saw...movement? Was the images carved into the box moving?
It reminded him of his dreams. He started having them right after his parents died at sea. He had dreams before, some involving servants, maids and even Aubrey but nothing like this.
The past two weeks they had become disturbing. He put them out of his mind as soon as he woke up but the box brought them back. He remembered...
......
Jon came to slowly, staring at a somehow familiar ceiling like at the long lost summer mansion. Richard was here. Richard would explain. Who was Richard?
"You're awake."
The voice was familiar and almost as if in a dream, Jon turned his head to the right.
"Richard?" He whispered, his voice strained. His head ached badly. "What...what...I don't..."
"That's all right Jon," said Richard, coming closer and brushing the dark hair back from Jon's forehead, "I'll take care of everything love." He bent and kissed Jon hard, thrusting his tongue into his mouth.
Jon didn't react for a moment, sluggish and dazed.
Richard took one last long kiss and then climbed on the bed, straddling Jon with his naked body and continued to kiss him feverishly.
"Richard, what are you doing?" he gasped between kiss. He tried to get up and realized he was tied spread eagled and naked to the bed at his summer mansion bedroom. He could feel Richard's hot skin pressing into his and with growing confusion realized that Richard was naked as well and sporting an erection against his belly.
"Richard, Richard," he shouted when Richard came up for air. "What the hell are you doing? Get off me!"
A strong arm landed on either side of his head and Richard loomed over him looking at him calmly. Jon felt a tremor go through him. He had not realized how intimidating someone of Richard's size could be.
"I've waited a long time for this." He replied, sitting up a bit and running a finger down the side of Jon's face and across his lips.
Jon noticed that Richard's eyes were a bit glazed; the pupils dilated so wide that the pale blue iris was all but gone. Something was wrong with him, very wrong.
"But...but you...do I know you?"
"You will my love, I'm coming for you" replied Richard smiling down at him.
Fangs, Richard was sporting fangs.
He dropped his head down and began to nibble the side of Jon's neck, licking and biting gently. "I've wanted you for so long, waited for you, dreamed about you and never once did you dream about me?"
"Dream about you? I have never met you," Jon's mouth was dry and his stomach twisted. "You are just a dream; yes this is a dream so I am dreaming about you."
Taking Jon's face in between his large hands Richard kissed him lightly on the lips. "I've loved you for so long. You will dream about me now and in a short time, you will be mine, all mine." He smiled and rubs Jon's nipple.
Jon shrieked in surprise, pulling on the tight bonds around his wrists and ankles.
"We need to discuss how to meet, Jon." Richard bent down and took the throbbing nipple in his mouth, laving it with his tongue, soothing the sensitive flesh. "You don't realize what you put me through. If we are going to be destined mates, I need to find you. Claim you. I expect you to be faithful to me, body and soul."
Jon just looked at him in shock. Destined mates, the blood bonding between vampires that would link them physically and mentally together. Not something they teach in boarding school. Who was this man?
"The ball, the valentine masquerade ball," the words slipped out before Jon could censor them.
Richard just smiled at him. "Ah, the masquerade ball," he said calmly. "Is Lady Caroline still having them? Yes, we will meet; we will meet at the ball. "
"No. my sister will be there. She must find a husband or we are ruined. You cannot interfere. The ball is one of her last hopes. Do you hear me? Richard, Richard...stop it Richard. This is crazy. I don't know you," he shouted at the top of his lungs.
"But you will," Richard whispers, his face a mask of love and lust. "Do not worry about your sister. She will find a husband. You will find me your destined mate." Richard bent down to kiss Jon
"God you taste good," came Richard's voice, raw with lust.
Jon jumped against his lips when he felt a finger explore and then slowly thrust into his ass.
"This shouldn't feel this good, should it?" he said dreamily.
"Does that feel good lover?" He asked thrusting the finger hard, slowly withdrawing and thrusting deep again.
Jon rolled his head side-to-side and despite himself, started to moan. Richard shifts off him and quickly flips him like a feather.
Slowly, forcefully, Richard opened his unwilling flesh at ...
Goodreads Review
Felicia Sussex has written a good mix between historical, vampire, gay vampire and submission (and sex, sex, sex, and more sex!). Lord Richard is the strong gay vampire who is thinks he has killed his life mate or destined mated and is considering destroying himself. Lord Duncan is Richards's friend and sometime lover who is also looking for his destined mate and feels she is close at hand. They enlist the beautiful Lady Aubrey to help them find Duncan's mate and a surprise surfaces.
Jannie and Jonathan are orphans. The Baron and Baroness of Radnor were lost at sea leaving them penniless. I really enjoyed the historical accuracy of the bank crash that left the twins with nothing.
I love the mystery and the dreams in this book. The mystery of the box Aubrey gives to Jannie that show Jonathan his future. The ball scenes are wonderful and I especially enjoy the transformation and the ending. Sweet Revenge!
The sex scenes a really descriptive and hot. Most of them take place in dreams Duncan and Richard are sending the twins. I hate reading a book and waiting until the last ten pages for things to finally heat up. In this book, the action starts almost right away.
There are so many wonderful scenes in this book and I really love the full development of each character. The sex scenes are descriptive and even hotter because I feel I know the people in them; I know how they think and what they feel. It is a wonderful read - buy and enjoy it. I give it five stars!
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