#BlackFriday: An Irish Vamp Walks into Macy’s… by Lauren Smith

Black Friday is here and we’re discussing the season with Lauren Smith’s Connor from The Bite of Winter.

LSmith-Bite of WinterZoey Blake is about as far down on her luck as she can get. A car crash took her parents, leaving her destitute and on the street. When she’s attacked by another homeless person, her lifeblood drains away as her fading vision is filled with the face of a handsome stranger.

Ian Kennedy, a century old Irish vampire, never could resist rescuing a stray. As a few drops of his blood heals Zoey’s wounds, he realizes she’s a sweet, tempting, flesh-and-blood woman. But there’s one problem. Connor, who made Ian promise decades ago: no more mortal lovers.

After another vampire murdered his soulmate, Connor O’Shea swore never to let a mortal woman pay the price for loving him. Until he feels Zoey’s skin and tastes her lips. She makes him want to break that vow.

Zoey finds herself caught in their web of seduction. But as Christmas draws near and her grief deepens, happiness seems far out of reach. And Ian and Connor join forces to prove their love is sacred, special…and forever.

_____________________________________________

An Irish Vamp Walks into Macy’s…

After centuries of surviving as an immortal bloodsucker, sexy Connor, an Irish vampire, is facing his worst nightmare…Shopping in a department store for the sweet little human woman he wants to seduce into his bed.

***

Holiday shoppers packed the sidewalks when Connor reached the mall. Parking was hell, but Connor waited until a spot opened. Patience was just one of the few perks of being immortal. A mother passed by his car as he pulled into a spot, towing her three children in a line. They toddled after her in marshmallow-shaped winter coats sporting a rainbow of bright colors. The last little boy, who looked to be about four years old, stopped and stared at Connor from beneath a ski cap and scarf up to his nose. Connor shut his car door, locked it and slid the keys into his pocket, watching the boy with the same interest.

The boy tilted his head back to stare up at Connor.

“Are you a giant?” the boy asked in the way children always did when they noticed something obvious that no adult would ever consider saying out loud.

“I am, and you’re quite the wee lad, aren’t you?” he replied. He’d had plenty of siblings when he’d been alive and knew to answer a child with an answer akin to what they’d asked. It made them feel more grown up, which was quite important to children.

“Yup!” The boy agreed. “Merry Christmas, Mister!” His muffled exclamation had Connor’s lips tug up in a reluctant smile.

“And to you,” he echoed. He didn’t like to think about his own family, the one he’d had to kill when the need for blood had taken over and he’d been locked inside the house with them. They’d been starving, on the verge of death, but it hadn’t mattered. Both he and Ian had murdered their own kin because they hadn’t known how to control their bloodlust. But that was the past, a very distant one. He focused on the happy memories, the ones that made him smile—it was that or feel his heart bleed again and again for the rest of his eternal life.

He turned to face the monstrous mall and squared his shoulders. If mothers with children could survive the frenzy, he could as well. Surely it couldn’t be as bad as the wars he’d fought in over the last two centuries.

The throngs of people would surely have suffocated him, if he’d needed to breathe. Thankfully he did not. His body still drew breath, out of habit more than anything, but it was unnecessary. Long ago he’d been dumped in Dublin Bay with iron boots on because of a bad debt—it had taken him two days to walk back to shore to find a blacksmith to remove them.

The first stop he made was a department store. A nice-looking woman in her mid-thirties, wearing a nametag that read “Candace” smiled knowingly as he took in the endless clothes racks.

“Overwhelming, isn’t it?” Her eyes were warm and her smile genuine.

“A bit.” His voice dropped low as he made sure no one else could hear him admit it.

“Who are you shopping for? I can help,” Candace offered, a bright smile warning him that he ought to control his effect on her before she gave him her phone number. Connor was ready to refuse but then realized he did need help. He willed himself to be less desirable. It was strange to think that a physical affect like the glamour could be controlled through his will alone, but that was how it worked.

“It’s my woman. She needs clothes…underthings…shoes…everything.”

“New relationship?” A twinkle of amusement danced in Candace’s eyes.

“Very new.”

“Well, tell me about her. What does she usually wear? Do you know her size?” Candace led him over to an area with casual clothes.

“She’s small…but with curves that could kill a man,” he replied without thinking and held out his hands to show Zoey’s hip size. Candace’s cheeks reddened but she studied his hands and nodded.

“Size eight, perhaps? How short?”

Connor tapped his hand to his chest. “Comes up to here exactly.” He’d never forget that, not when she’d tilted her face up to look at him. The wariness and arousal warring with her past pain all there for him to see in such lovely eyes.

“Five-foot-four then?” Candace started pulling out pairs of jeans, checking sizes. She handed him a light and dark pair of jeans, then waved for him to follow her to a sweater rack. “You really should get her proper measurements, but I assume this is meant to be a surprise?”

“Yes.”

Over the next hour, Candace helped him gather several pants, tops, a couple of coats, sneakers, boots and even a few strappy heels and a couple of fancy black dresses. Everything a young woman would need. She’d just informed him of their return policy in case the measurements were off when he remembered Zoey needed undergarments.

“What about…underclothes?” he asked Candace.

“Oh! I forgot.” She ushered him to the lingerie section.

Connor’s eyes nearly bugged out when he’d stared at the lacy thongs and sheer lingerie hanging on the mannequins. There were also flannel and silk pajamas as well as robes and slippers. His eyes kept drifting back to the see-through items.

Since when did women wear such… Christ, the last time he’d been with a woman such lacy, strappy things hadn’t been nearly as enticing as these newer more revealing creations.

“Men usually buy the more revealing items, but…if I may give you some advice?”

Candace paused and Connor nodded.

“Keep your girlfriend warm. Buy something thick and soft for her.”

Connor admitted the woman had a point. Zoey would look delicious in lingerie, but she’d freeze when she slept.

“Better go with the flannel,” he said.

Candace smiled and started gathering a robe, slippers and flannel PJs before turning back to Connor.

“And the…sexy stuff?” She tried to hide a smile. Connor grinned back at her and pointed to the little red see-through garment that had a fringe of white fur on the edges of its short skirt.

“I want that.”

“Lovely choice. The Christmas babydoll is always popular this time of year.”

Connor could see why. The top part was practically transparent and would cup Zoey’s breasts nicely, while the small red bikini bottom would reveal more of her glorious backside—a backside that he still ached to cup and mold and, Lord help him, smack it. Hard. She’d made such a sweet little moan when he’d done that last night.

His cock swelled at the thought, pressing against the front of his black wool pants. The damned thing seemed to have a mind of its own, thanks to Zoey.

He let Candace take him back to the checkout station and handed over his credit card. It had been ages since he’d had such a good time. Shopping for his woman had been entertaining. And she would be his woman. He stilled. His woman, but Ian’s too. There was no way he could separate his friend from Zoey. They would share, like before with Lara. An old ache, one he so often tried to deny, burned a hole in his chest when he thought of Lara.

“Thank you, Candace. You’ve been very helpful.” He took the three large bags and winked at the shopping store clerk.

“You’re very welcome, Mr. O’Shea.” She handed him back his card. “Your girlfriend is a very lucky woman. She’ll love the things you bought. I promise. Any woman would.”

______________________

Meet Lauren Smith!

Amazon Best-Selling Author Lauren Smith is an attorney by day, author by night, who pens adventurous and edgy romance stories by the light of her smart phone flashlight app. She’s a native Oklahoman who lives with her three pets: a feisty chinchilla, sophisticated cat and dapper little schnauzer. She’s won multiple awards in several romance subgenres including being an Amazon.com Breakthrough Novel Award Quarter-Finalist and a Semi-Finalist for the Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Award.

Lauren SmithContact Info: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | GoodReads | Amazon | Instagram | Wattpad

Want to purchase Lauren’s novels?
The Bite of Winter
Wicked Designs (League of Rogues #1)
The Shadows of Stormclyffe Hall (Dark Seduction #1)
The Gilded Cuff (Surrender #1)
The Duelist’s Seduction (Solar Seduction #1)
Forbidden (Her British Stepbrother #1) (Jan 12, 2016)
Captivated By His Kiss
Once Upon a True Love’s Kiss
Blood Moon On the Rise
Tempted By A Rogue

Please help spread the word: Tweet: Celebrate the chaos of #BlackFriday with #holiday #stories & #contests by 20+ authors Nov27-Dec24 #LiteraryEscapism http://wp.me/p3SIUp-cte

Have you checked out the other Black Friday stories & contests yet? Check out the Master List to see all the Black Friday fun.

About Jackie 3282 Articles
I am a 30-something SAHM with two adorable boys and a supportive husband who is very tolerant of my reading addiction. I love to read and easily go through about a dozen books a month – well I did before I had kids. Now, not so much. After my first son was born, I began to take my hobby of reviewing a little more serious and started Literary Escapism to help with my sanity. I love to discuss the fabulous novels I’ve read and meeting all the wonderful people in the book blogging community has been amazing.

3 Comments

  1. I love that Connor bought the right kind of stuff to keep the heroine warm and comfortable, as well as, the item he wished to see her wear. If only all clothing sales people could be so practical, thoughtful and persuasive.

Comments are closed.