Excerpt Darkness Falls...

Noah had spent over an hour driving around, looking for Alana’s truck. When he’d finally spotted it at the house, he’d wanted to put her over his knee. Her friend had been attacked here, and the culprit was still loose. She should know better than to come here alone.

He stepped out of his truck and headed up the front steps of the house, all the while unable to keep his mind off their kiss earlier. He would go to hell for all this one day. He just knew it.

Today wasn’t the first time he and his brother had played each other. They’d done it as kids all the time. As they became adults, they grew out of it, but on occasion, they would trade places, just to see if they still could.

He had no more intentions of misleading Alana. He’d tell her the truth. Because of his brother’s attraction to her, he couldn’t stop thinking about her.

Noah stood in the grand entrance of the abandoned house and snorted toward the glass dome above him in the ceiling.

“I’m not sure I would believe that load of crock, either,” he said to himself.

His stare moved to the curving staircase, and he sighed. Now where the hell would she be? And more importantly, what the hell was she doing here alone?

“Alana?” he called.

* * *

He stood in the shadows, watching the light play off her auburn curls. She was pretty, although not as pretty as the other one. He could still imagine all the things he could do to her body. All the sexual things.

He closed his eyes briefly, inhaling the sweet smell of roses that floated through the air as she moved. He imagined that smell filling his senses as he buried his cock in her ass, riding her hard before sinking the blade of his knife into her spine, severing the nerves.

Just a head on a stick was what she’d be by the time he was done with her. Unable to move, to get away, to fight. The last thing she’d feel would be his cock buried in her throat.

He opened his eyes, a soft smile pulling at his lips. He could feel his cock getting hard already in anticipation. It had been too long since his last girl. Too long since he’d fed the beast that existed within him. Is that why he found himself attracted to a redhead and not a brunette? It had definitely been too long.

He preferred the other girl. He could still hear her screams, could still smell the scent of her blood as his claws had ripped at her flesh. He’d had a small taste of her, and he wanted more. His fingers clenched at his sides as he tried to control the rage, the hunger that seemed to burn him from the inside out.

Control… He needed to maintain control.

* * *

Alana fiddled with the camera wiring and tried not to listen to the moans and creaks of the house. It was like the damn thing was alive, and she’d begun to regret her decision to come here alone. Tray would have her head if he knew. And truthfully, he should.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as the creepy sensation of being watched traveled up her spine. She froze, holding her breath and listening. Her heart jumped in her chest as a barely audible noise sounded from behind her. Was someone in the room with her? The temperature felt as though it had dropped a few degrees, and she shivered. She should turn and look; she really should, but she was almost too afraid. She had a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach that if she did, she wouldn’t like what she saw.

Swallowing, she reached for the small digital camcorder lying on the table. Not much of a weapon, but it would do in a pinch if used correctly.

“Alana?”

The sound of her name brought both relief and a tinge of unease. Was it Noah or Aiden?

“Great,” she snarled. “I’m up here,” she called out, albeit reluctantly as she turned to study the empty room behind her with a frown.

She really didn’t want to talk to either of them right now, but at the same time she didn’t want to be alone, either. Not after that creepy feeling.

“Up where?” he called, and Alana sighed.

“Second door on the right.”

She turned just as Noah stepped into the doorway. He looked identical to Aiden. The only way she knew it was him was by his clothes. Aiden had been dressed in slacks and a tie. Noah was in jeans and a form-fitting T-shirt that outlined his wide shoulders to perfection. The blue material made his eyes appear darker, more blue than gray.

“What the hell are you doing here alone?” he demanded, his voice rough and commanding.

She bristled at his tone, despite how his deep voice made her stomach flutter.

“Don’t start with me. I’m a grown woman; I can go where I want to. Why are you here? Back for more?” she snapped, unable to curb her anger, especially with her body humming to life at the sight of him staring at her like a hunter looking at his prey.

“Don’t be snippy,” he said.

She raised an eyebrow, her ire rising. “Excuse me? I think I have a right to be snippy.”

He spread his hands as he came farther into the room. “I pretended to be my brother so you would kiss me. I admit it, but I’m not the first twin to do it, Alana.”

“Did you think it was fun?” she asked, hand on her hip.

She placed the camera down on the small table next to the closet while she waited for his answer. She’d been amazed when she arrived at just how much furniture was still in the house.

“I thought your kiss was fun,” he said, his lips quirking just a little. “I do regret making you angry, though. I’m sorry for that.”

“Fair enough, I suppose.”

“Am I forgiven?”

She scowled. “I don’t know that I would go quite that far.”

He smiled, and her stomach jumped in a patty-cake rhythm that caught her by surprise.

“Did your brother send you out here?” she asked, trying to cover up her sudden urge to kiss him again.

All she’d been able to think about while at this house was the two of them seducing her as a pair. Was she nuts? Had that even been their intent, or had Noah just been playing a game?

“Yes and no,” he replied, taking a couple of steps into the room.

The closer he got, the more her flesh tingled. Was it because he looked so much like Aiden? He kissed like Aiden…sort of. His kiss had been more demanding where Aiden’s was more sensual, slower.

She studied him from the corner of her eye. Now that she really looked at him, she could see he carried himself differently from Aiden. His brother was a people person. He was approachable. Noah was less approachable, more stern and arrogant. He had a darker look in his eyes.

One side of her lips quirked in a half smile. Was it that simple? Aiden was light, the good twin, the gentle twin, and Noah was dark, the dangerous, naughty, and rough twin? She could see that.

His blue-gray gaze met hers, and her breath caught in her chest. Oh, yeah. She could definitely see that. Looking at Noah made her think of hot, sweaty nights between black satin sheets. She licked her lips and looked back down at the camera, trying to take her mind off sex with the twins.

“Alana?”

His deep voice carried across the room and smoothed over her skin like a caress. Too late. So much for not thinking about sex.

“Yes?” she croaked, then cleared her throat to try again. “So if Aiden sending you to apologize is one reason why you’re here, what’s the other?”

He stepped close behind her, so close she could feel the heat off his body against her back.

“I couldn’t stop thinking about that kiss,” he replied, his voice so soft and sensual he might as well have just stroked his hand down her back.

“I’m sleeping with your brother,” she whispered, although it sounded more like she wanted to convince herself more so than him, even to her own ears.

He snorted softly. “Trust me, I know.”

“Are you really going to stick with that story? That you came when he did? I get the whole twins feel each other’s pain, but pleasure?”

He shrugged. “It is what it is.”

“Do you do this often?” she snipped over her shoulder.

“Do what?” he asked, all innocent.

“Seduce your brother’s girlfriends?”

“Is that what I’m doing?” Alana could hear the amusement in his voice and bristled.

“I don’t know. Is it?”

“If I were, you would know it.”

Alana huffed. Of all the arrogant, conceited—

Rolling her eyes, she did what she knew she shouldn’t, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself. She turned to face him. Craning her neck, she looked into pretty eyes that left her feeling weak-kneed and speechless.

“Honestly? You want the truth?” he asked.