I met Priya through a mutual critique partner and discovered she lived in my state, in my own city even! Of course, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to meet a fellow local author. We touched bases and connected beyond the scope of the computer screen.
She has that infectious excitement about her that bubbles to the surface in every conversation.
Today, I bring you an excerpt from her book: Dracian Legacy.
★☆★☆★
Excerpt: Truth or Dare
This was either humiliating or incomprehensibly humiliating.
I should’ve known better. Sitting in a circle with an assortment of horny teenagers never ended on a positive note.
My instincts, which I’d candidly ignored, had told me that much. Yet here I was, in the middle of a staggered circle, secluded among an eager group of waiting teenagers. I looked around, searching the crowd of bodies swaying to the pounding music.
Everyone was having fun. Except me.
I caught a glimpse of Pey straddling Landon, laughing and whispering in his ear. Her eyes twinkled jovially when she caught me staring. I glared back at her. She winked and looked pointedly at the boy sitting in front of me, his hand on my knee, waiting for me to make my decision.
“This is your lucky day, Pernell.” Dean’s voice purred with mischief.
“Give him a big, wet kiss, tongue and all.”
“Shut up, Hunter!” I growled.
“Rules are rules,” Serena said.
I looked up to see her lips twitching in annoyance. Seriously. I was the one that had to kiss him. She could wait a few seconds for her turn to play.
“It’s fate, babe. Just kiss and get it over with,” Pey called.
Fate, my ass. Easy for her to say. She wasn’t about to kiss the douchebag. I was.
I’d naively thought Truth or Dare would be an easy game, that I had control over my emotions. But Dean had found my weakness. I never backed down from a challenge, and he’d easily provoked me into accepting a dare.
“Afraid you might fall madly, irrevocably in love with me?” Dean smirked. “I wouldn’t blame you if you did.”
I scoffed.
I knew this was just a game to him, the conquest of another girl. But to me, it was a gesture of something intimate, something that expressed your heart’s desires. To say I was pissed would be the understatement of the century. I shot angry daggers at him, wishing one of them would hit him square in the eye, blinding him.
“Don’t make me beg, Pernell.”
I don’t know what came over me. Maybe it was the frustration and pain from being stood up, or maybe it was the amount of alcohol in my system, but either way, I made up my mind:
There was no way I was going to let this self-loving, arrogant, insignificant ass win.
I licked my lips, shoving my nerves aside.
Dean scooted closer. He must have guessed my choice. He cupped his hand around the back of my neck and pulled my lips to his with force.
I closed my eyes, feeling his warm lips move against mine–slowly, tenderly–exploring the bottom, then the top. He was gentle, and it left me wanting more.
Warmth seeped through me, all the way to my toes, making me light-headed. I’d never been kissed like this. He tenderly nibbled at my bottom lip, tilting my head in a plea to open for him.
I wanted to push him away, reject his advances. Because, deep down, I knew it wasn’t really Dean’s kiss I wanted. I wanted another blue-eyed boy who’d stomped all over my heart.
Axel stood you up! Dean is here and willing. Live a little. For once.
I scooted closer to him, kneeling between his legs, cupping my hands on either side of his face. He pulled me against him, placing his hands at the hem of my cami as he urged for access. He parted my lips and let out a throaty groan, his grip growing firmer, pulling me onto his lap.
Never in a million years did I think I would kiss him back. But I did. My heart beat faster as I deepened the kiss. He moaned. He was no longer gentle, and I was in control.
It felt dangerous. My insides ignited, leaving my body ablaze. His greediness woke something deep within me. His hands, my hands–they had no boundaries.
He gripped my waist tighter, making me quiver under his possessive touch. His lips curved against mine. I threw my arms around him, my fingers vigorously working through his hair. I tilted my face to give him better access to my mouth.
Nothing was enough. I could feel something inside me wanting to get closer to him. Pulling and tying us together. I didn’t understand. I couldn’t. It didn’t make sense.
He growled, biting and nipping at my lip, and blood rushed to my ears. I heard someone whistle and hoot from far away. I didn’t care. I wanted him. I craved his touch, his kiss. I wanted everything from him, and it scared the hell out of me.
After a few more dazed seconds, I pulled back, confused. Our foreheads touched as we struggled to breathe, my chest flush against his, my eyes still closed. My head swam with incoherent thoughts. I wanted to kiss him again, so I leaned toward him, biting my lip. He met me for a feather-light kiss.
“I missed you,” he whispered against my mouth. My heart skipped a beat. “Tell me you did, too.” His voice was hoarse, deep.
Shocked, I opened my eyes. The whispers around us were growing louder. We’d just provided a full month’s worth of gossip.
★☆★☆★
Priya lives in the beautiful city of Boise, ID as a full-time working mom and part-time YA Novel Author. For the past 7+ years she has worked in multiple fortune 500 companies and has recently found the passion to read and write. The Dracian Legacy is her first YA paranormal romance series. She strongly believes that true love conquers all and that’s a common theme you’ll find within her novels.
You can find her online at: Blog – Facebook – Pinterest – Twitter
★☆★☆★
What did you think? Are you going to go check out Priya’s book?
ooo, totally intriguing! Why did he miss her? I’m in! I want to read more 🙂
“Sitting in a circle with an assortment of horny teenagers never ended on a positive note.”
I laughed out loud when I read this. Great line!
By the end of the excerpt, though, I wasn’t laughing anymore.
Day-amn. That’s some seriously great writing.
Best of luck, Priya. 🙂
Oh my goodness, I LOVE it. This is so totally going on the list.