The Pirates of Vampire
Island
A Paranormal Romantic Thriller
(Steamy Voyages, Series #1)
by Phoenix and Lover Boy
EXCERPTS
EXCERPT #1:
Angry clouds rolled over the sparkling turquoise sea, transforming it into a lifeless
slate grey.
Tucked in a small bay hidden from view, a
black-market military sea craft modified for great speed waited silently. Ten
men with chalk white skin and dressed in black sat tensed as the idle boat
gently rose and fell with the small swells, their glowing red eyes intent on their
quarry.
Through his binoculars, their six-foot-three leader
studied a sleek cruise liner turning her mammoth bow to line up on the
inter-island passage off the coast of Indonesia.
He turned to his crew. They watched as a small
smile played across his handsome face, his red eyes shining bright.
He nodded. This was the right target. Once they
boarded, the rich bounty they would gain would renew their powers.
The leader said only one word,
"Midnight."
EXCERPT #2:
A warm wind
fanned my face. I watched the
colorful flags wave in the breeze, as our sleek cruise ship, The Jakarta, cut through the Southeast
Asian waters.
We had boarded
the cruise in Bali. Yesterday, we stopped at Komodo Island
for diving, sightseeing, and ogling the famous Komodo dragons. Now we were
sailing due east through the Flores
Sea. I was so looking
forward to seeing some of the thousands of large and small islands, each exotic
and mysterious, with strange creatures, amazing fish and birds, impenetrable
rain forests, and people who still lived in the stone age.
The ship was a
small luxury liner that held ninety passengers and a crew of thirty. And though
the posh thirty-day cruise was a beacon for singles looking to be pampered, the
main billing was its stops to scuba-dive off a few of the seventeen thousand
islands of the Indonesian Archipelago – our ultimate destination the Forgotten Islands
in the Banda Sea.
They would even
teach us how to scuba for free; I had always wanted to learn. I tried it
yesterday and was hooked.
I left the deck
and went back to my cabin, which I shared with my best friend, Remy. She had
dresses and shoes all over her bunk. I plopped down on mine and sighed.
"What're
you going to wear tonight?" she asked as she grabbed another dress and
held it up to her, turning this way and that in front of the mirror.
"I don't
know. I don't feel very social today. Maybe I'll just order something and eat
here. And read."
"Which
one?"
"Which one,
what?" I asked.
"Dress …
dress."
"Oh yeah,
dress. I like the red one on you. Looks great with your blonde hair."
"Done."
She started hanging the other gowns. "Wasn't that guy last night
tasty?"
"Who? The
one every girl's eyes were glued to?"
"No. No.
Who can be interested in a guy who attracts woman in packs? No, the one last
night at dinner. With the green eyes and sweet smile. Zack."
"Oh, yeah.
Nice." Actually, the guy who attracted every female on the ship had also
attracted me. I had seen him by the pool with his ever-present fan club. The
guy had it all. A classic Greek face, black curly hair, olive complexion –
probably never visited by a zit. Fabulous build. He seemed to be charming the
knickers off every young woman aboard. Maybe
that's what my bad mood's about, I thought. Being attracted to the gorgeous guy started me thinking about Tony
again – and the phrase that runs over and over in my head – "Jane, I'm
sorry. But I've found someone else."
I hadn't been
attracted to a man since my fiancee left me for another girl a year ago. You get
burned, and you stay away from the stove.
I sighed. I had
to stop this. I jumped off my bed. "I need to shake this off. How about a
swim?
"Sure."
EXCERPT #3:
As we approached
the outdoor swimming pool on the top deck, I saw dark clouds threatening a
storm. My hair was whipping in the wind. I shivered. Bad idea. But Remy was
undaunted. She immediately ran and did a cannonball. As I stood wondering if I
should just go back to the cabin, a waiter came up, a small, dark boy about
sixteen, probably a native of the area. He wore a short white jacket with
epaulets and black pants.
"Would you
like a drink, mum?"
"How about
a snow suit?" I laughed. "Just kidding. No, I'm good for now." I
surveyed the sunbathers and swimmers. There he was. As usual, he was surrounded
by women. He was dressed in a simple white pullover sweater and tan slacks, but
the cut and fabric screamed money. His luxurious, curly black hair whipped in
the wind, making him look very unkempt, rugged, and nonchalant, as if fine
grooming was so not important because he was stunningly handsome no matter what
he wore or did.
"Excuse me,
sir?" I said.
The waiter
turned.
"What's
that guy's name? The one with the black curly hair."
"Nickolas
Angelopoulos." He stood for a moment. "Anything else I can help you
with?"
"Nope.
Thank you," I said, not taking my eyes off the amazing-looking man.
"You're
gawking."
I shook myself
and looked down. Remy was hanging on the side of the pool. "Yeah, I guess
I am."
Enough of that.
"I'm coming
in." I walked over to the diving board and performed a perfect dive. I had
always been very athletic, and I knew my body showed it.
I swam several
laps, trying not to look at this guy named Nickolas, and climbed out of the
pool, dripping water, and squeezing it out of my thick mane. I shivered a little
in the cool wind, and as I finished drying, I saw out of the corner of my eye
that Nicholas was staring at me – well, at my chest anyway. I looked down to
see that my nipples were perfectly erect through my black bikini. I quickly
draped my towel around my shoulders so it covered my breasts and was suddenly
looking for a quick way to exit.
~~~~~~~~~~
